Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Screaming down from heaven

I was sixteen, and I'd never met anyone like Craig. He knew more, had read more, was smarter and nicer and funnier and harsher than anyone. And Craig liked Jeff Buckley, who I'd never heard, he thought Buckley was brilliant and he had to be right because of the sheer Craigness of him. But I was sixteen, and I could be wrong, and I didn't want to be wrong and not like Jeff and have to tell Craig I didn't like him. So even when he tried to direct me to the official website to force me to listen to "Lover, you should've come over", I didn't.

Eventually I gave in, and found myself at the site listening to Mojo Pin. I was...bored. The beginning was long and dreary. And it was about love, and everyone's written a love song, right? (I'd blame this on the fact that I was sixteen too, but I know sixteen year olds who have great taste)

At some point I decided to read the lyrics instead. I'm not sure what it says about me that my greatest loves musically started with the lyrics. But I think I learnt that certain things got written about because they were universal, that the love song will always exist because everyone who discovers the feeling feels it so intensely that they just have to write about it. Jeff made it sound fresh and exciting and beautiful.I found Grace in a shop I didn't expect to have it. I don't think I've been that excited over an album in years. I could probably rhapsodise over each individual song, but that would bore everyone. I will say, though, that Dream Brother is gorgeous, and must be sung by June at her college thingy.

I'll never forgive myself for not having discovered him before he died. How could I, though, I was far too young.